


cause if they know what we know (that's when everything's gonna change)

by lunasasylum



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Bisexual Veronica Lodge, F/M, Hiding, High School, Homecoming, Idiots in Love, Protective Jughead Jones, School Dances, Secret Crush, Secret Relationship, Sexual Tension, Southside Serpent Jughead Jones, Stolen Moments, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:00:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22758922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunasasylum/pseuds/lunasasylum
Summary: Veronica doesn't want him to feel like a secret but in this way, she's a secret too.In this way, everything is a secret."It could just be us, you and me. We can start like this, you and me."// or Jughead and Veronica navigate their way to an epic love through secret exchanges and stairway kisses.
Relationships: Jughead Jones/Veronica Lodge
Comments: 5
Kudos: 46





	cause if they know what we know (that's when everything's gonna change)

Naturally, the moment Veronica Lodge came to Riverdale, she linked up with Cheryl Blossom. The school would've been absolute chaos if they decided to be enemies, so for the sake of peace and a coherent, unified, cheerleading squad, they became friends. Veronica was always the ice to Cheryl's fire, and it was exactly what each girl needed. Someone to take the other a notch or twelve. So, they were close. Almost like sisters.

Veronica could deal with the icy exteriors of Cheryl's parents, and Cheryl accepted that there were things about Veronica's family that she could never understand. They were so close that there wasn't room for anyone else in their relationship. Veronica came at just the right time. Cheryl's brother Jason had just left for college, so she was all alone. Her reign over the school could've been cold and lonely, had Veronica not come when she did. She pulled something brighter out of the red-head, something soft and delicate. Even if everyone couldn't always see it, Cheryl had a kind heart, she just worked really hard to protect it.

They worked together well. The principal even bent the rules so they could run on the same ticket for class president, knowing running separately would've divided the votes way too much, and their ideas were similar. Veronica was able to handle the logical, analytical side of all their ideas. She created budgets and formulated plans, organized the committees, made sure their timing was efficient, and she enjoyed it.

As they juggled some ideas for the next dance, Veronica popped a grape in her mouth.

"What did Mr. Weatherbee say about the polling?" Cheryl asked, not looking up from the list she had created.

Pulling out her own notebook, Veronica skimmed over the notes she took from their meeting with principal. "Only two options for the dance theme, it needs to be approved by at least 87 percent of the junior class. So far, we have about 84 percent. About 15 more people would satisfy his requirements." Setting it down, she glanced up at Cheryl and then down at the list Cheryl had in front of her. "So, I think _Heathers_ -esque lunchtime poll would be perfect."

Cheryl smiled, thinking exactly the same thing. "As usual, V, you're reading my mind." They won't over the list of students who hadn't voted for a theme and sought them out in the lunchroom. Although, the votes were already overwhelmingly in favor of "A Night in Paris," (much to Veronica's chagrin), they still needed to present the votes to their principal to have the dance approved. While she thought the theme was cliché and overdone, she couldn't argue with the simplicity of it. Small town kids tended think anything from overseas was going to be unique and special.

As they roamed the lunchroom, she checked off names silently, while Cheryl did the polling. They approached a table with one of the new players from the football team, Archie, and two of his friends.

Cheryl came over, grinning in a way that turned Veronica's stomach over a little. "Hello, rat pack."

Betty seemed annoyed with Cheryl already, but rather than intervene, Veronica studied the interaction. "What do you want?"

"Don't worry, Elizabeth, I'm only here to get the beloved opinions of Riverdale High's finest Bulldogs." Cheryl tilts her head, and Veronica can tell she's being condescending. "No need to get heated."

Veronica watches as Archie takes Betty's hand, squeezing it a few times. The other boy at the table has been studying Veronica closely and she feels naked, even though she's completely dressed. She's seen him before, but not enough to know his name. She'd be a little embarrassed if he answered and she wouldn't know where to mark him down.

"Betty, don't worry about her." Archie looks back at Cheryl and Veronica and raises his eyebrows, asking the same question as Betty.

Cheryl repeats the poll to them, and Veronica takes down their answers, before turning to the boy sitting in front of her. Cheryl's still poking at Archie and Betty, bombarding them questions about their relationship and the dance, but all of Veronica's focus is on him.

"And what about you?" He finally asks, eyes finally settling on her face. 

Looking at him in question, Veronica wrinkles her eyebrows, "What about me?"

His eyes hold so much more than that question, but Veronica can't tell what it is. "What theme are you choosing for the sacred Riverdale High Homecoming dance? I'm not much of dance-goer, anyways." His tone is dripping in thinly veiled sarcasm, and she is enjoying the sound of his voice too much.

"I'm student body president, my vote doesn't matter." Her voice is soft to his ears and she watches as his expression changes. 

He shakes his head, knowing her tone is a lie, and she's evading the question. "I'm guessing the majority has already chosen "A Night in Paris," but that wasn't your first choice." He's reading her way too easily, and she hates the way that she likes this. "You're probably the one that put "Gods and Goddesses" into the mix." He wasn't wrong.

She did throw that in, knowing that theme wouldn't receive as many votes as the most obvious, easy to dress for choice. Gods and Goddesses, while seemingly easy, was difficult to dress for. It was easy to dress in white, but everyone would want to appear different, following the theme of Riverdale's own Met Gala. She would've been ready for it, but she knows that this town likes things quick and easy: every boy likes the pretty girl. Smart, but not smarter than him, pretty, but the simple kind of pretty. The way you'd look at a flower or a sunset and decide it's pretty. There's nothing to understand about it, you can just tell it's visually appealing.

The way this boy was looking at Veronica was different. Like she's the complex kind of beautiful. The kind of beautiful you'd see when you look at a painting, a sculpture, something new and intricate, many different parts of something distinct and lovely. Something that takes you a while to understand, it makes you wonder if every other beautiful thing is truly as nice as you thought it was.

"Guilty," Is the only response she can seem to whisper, because the way he was studying her began to make her feel like there wasn't enough oxygen in the room.

He nods in understanding, and she takes this time to rake her eyes over him. He sits slouched, but she could easily tell he was pushing, if he wasn't already, six foot. His clothes were piled on top of one another, no rhyme or reason, no statement to make. He wore the tortured artist look very well, and she kind of enjoyed it. Simply put, he didn't look like every other boy in Riverdale. They were strong hands and insistent stares, always ready to take whatever they could get out of you.

He was simple, in the most complex way possible.

Neither of them realized that Cheryl, Archie, and Betty had stopped talking and were now observing their interaction.

Biting her bottom lip, Veronica dragged her eyes back up this, and it suddenly felt like things had been turned up to eleven. Shifting on her feet, she looked at him, trying not squirm under the bad intentions that were obvious in his gaze.

"You didn't answer the poll." She reminds him, blushing now.

In turn, he licks his bottom lip, "God."

Just as she opens her mouth to respond, Cheryl tugs on her arm, calling Veronica's attention back to her.

"Later." Veronica smirks and catches Jughead's faint reply of 'Definitely.'

Veronica stumbles out behind Cheryl, and the cafeteria door bangs closed behind them.

"What in the fresh hell are you doing Veronica?" Cheryl stares at her like she has three heads and Veronica's confused. "That was Forsythe Pendleton "Jughead" Jones."

"That's quite a name." Veronica giggles, when she sees Cheryl's not laughing, she looks back in question. "What's the deal with him? Did he steal your cookies in fifth grade? Throw sand in your hair in preschool?"

Cheryl frowns and rolls her eyes, "His dad is FP Jones, king of the Southside Serpents, the most dangerous gang in the Riverdale."

Veronica's heart starts racing and something feels totally wrong about the way she's thinking about him right now.

Nodding dumbly, Veronica announces her acknowledgment of Cheryl's statement.

"I'm only looking out for you, V." Cheryl gives her hand a little push, and walks off down the hall.

* * *

"Fuck." The light slipped out of Veronica's hand and fell to the floor beside the ladder. The gym was only half done for the dance tomorrow and Veronica was beyond exhausted already.

Cheryl had taken the evening off after practicing with the Vixens, leaving Veronica and a handful of volunteers, some of who bowed out after the first hour, to set up the gym.

Just as she was stepping down the ladder, the light was raised up next to her hand. Following the trail, she saw none other than Jughead Jones, looking too happy to help her.

Taking the light from him, she reached up and pinned it to the wall. 

"A knight in shining armor." 

Veronica steps down to the floor and realizes how much taller Jughead is than her. She gazes up at him, and when he looks down at her it's not condescending.

"Where's your partner in crime?" He asks, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Home," Veronica says succinctly, "Resting aching calves."

He nods, regarding her ponytail and jeans, not her usual attire. He's seen her a lot since that day in cafeteria, but they haven't had a chance to talk. "Likely." 

Just as she's about to speak, another volunteer gives a crap excuse to her before they leave, and she sighs.

"Short staffed?" He asked, scanning the room.

"Can you tell?" She frowns, setting her hands on her hips.

"I've got a free afternoon, if you don't mind help from the deep, dark south." Jughead deadpans, silently telling her that he knows exactly what she knows about him.

Veronica looks at him, and just smiles. "Help is help, Jughead Jones."

She immediately puts him to work, having no time for flirting and eye-fucking today.

He works quietly and works hard. He takes care of everything above her reach and doesn't tease her too much about her height.

By the time they're finished, it's just both of them left together. She sighs as she finishes arranging the table and leans back in the chair.

"So, can I expect to see you enjoying the fruits of our labor tomorrow evening?" Veronica asks.

Jughead quirks her eyebrow and looks over at her. "I don't really go to dances." 

"I thought you could make an exception," Veronica smiles lightly, and something funny dances in his chest. "For me."

That piece does him in, even if she doesn't know it. When they part ways for the evening, she can feel him watching her leave. When Veronica collapses into bed that night, she honestly doesn't know if she'll see him tomorrow.

If you asked Veronica why she was so enamored with Jughead, she wouldn't be able to tell you. All she knew was the first time that Jughead looked at her, she felt seen. Not like when Archie eyed her that first night at Pop's diner, not the way Chuck looked at her on their first date, not even the way Cheryl watched her during their meetings or practices. He looked at her like she was more than a beautiful, controlling girl. She could feel it in the way her body lit up when he stared. He saw something in her, and she was desperate to know what it was.

That night Veronica slept soundly.

When she wakes up the next morning, the whole day is devoted to getting ready and _not_ thinking about Jughead. She's not thinking about the way he looks at her, how his eyes roam over her entire body and then settle on her face. She's not thinking about how her dress goes well with the color of his eyes. She's definitely not thinking about how nice she'd look walking into the dance with him tonight. So, it's a good thing she's not thinking of him.

Stepping in the dance that night, she surveys the room before Cheryl slides over next to her. Once they're linked, it would be hard to separate them. Or, it would be, but Veronica spends much of the dance putting out small fires, dealing with the DJ, then the food arrived 10 minutes too late, then the lights started flickering in an annoying way. The dance was halfway finished by the time everything settled. 

She leaned back, watching Cheryl pick up the ballot boxes to count the votes for Homecoming king and queen. They'll announce king and queen, they'll get a single dance, and then everything will go on, like nothing happened.

"I suppose we did some nice work." The voice sends shivers down her spine and she doesn't have to turn around to know who it is. Still, she spins on her heel to see what he's wearing and it's nothing special, white shirt and black pants, his hair semi-styled. But he _tried_. And she can tell, so that's what matters most to her.

Sliding her hand down the inside of his arm, the first time they've had purposeful physical contact since they've met and takes his hand in hers. Veronica pulls him out of the gym, and into the cool night air of the garden that the green club tends to during the school year. 

"You came," She whispered, feeling shy but still holding his hand.

He's much taller than her and she has to look up to see his face, and he still looks down at her, smiling. "I did."

Veronica can hear the faint hum of the song playing for the king and queen, and she starts rocking. When Jughead begins swaying with her, she leans her head against his shoulder, enjoying the first quiet moment she's had all evening. When she pulls back to look at him, it feels like she's got stars in her eyes. He's so beautiful, and he's _here_. She's aware of how his hands feel on her waist, and how badly she would like to kiss him right now.

He speaks first, breaking the spell. "If we do this, everything changes." Jughead sounds scared and still excited. His voice picks up on 'we' and she can feel the same thing racing through her body. "Your relationship with Cheryl, with the Vixens, with the school." 

"Your relationship with Betty and Archie, with the Serpents, with your dad," Veronica continues where he left off. Jughead rests his forehead against hers, and before he can even asks, she answers. "Yes, please." 

His lips feel too good on hers and she thinks she could do this forever. She could stay here forever, right here in this moment, just like this. She's moving too well with him, her hands are too fast and eager, and he's going slow. He takes his time kissing her, tilting and moving until she's writhing and desperate in front of him.

"We don't have to tell them," Before Jughead interrupts her, she keeps going. "I don't want Cheryl in this, or the Vixens, or the Serpents, or anyone. I just want to try this, alone. I want to try this, quietly, with you." She doesn't want him to feel like a secret but in this way, she's a secret too. In this way, everything is a secret. "It could just be us, you and me. We can start like this, you and me."

Jughead tucks a hair behind her ear, eyes scanning her face for something. When he finds it, he smiles at her. "I like you, Veronica, more than I'd like to acknowledge. So, if you want to try this, _alone_ , then so would I."

That nights was the catalyst for the greatest highs and lows of Veronica Lodge's high school career.


End file.
